Ohabolana 23
1 Ie miambesatse hitrao-pikama ami’ty mpifehe, biribirio ty añatrefa’o eo,
When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:
2 vaho tohoro meso ty tretra’o naho mpanao avetse irehe.
For thou puttest a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man of a craving desire.
3 Ko lelalelae’o o raha mafiri’eo, fa mahakama mahatsikapy.
Do not long for his savory meats; they are deceitful food.
4 Ko mamokotse vatañe ho mpañaleale, ijihero am-pisafiri’o.
Fatigue thyself not to become rich; because thou hast understanding, forbear.
5 Ampihelañe’o fihaino hao ty tsy eo? fa toe mitsene elatse manahake ty vantio ty vara mitiliñe mb’an-dindiñe eñe.
When thou lettest merely thy eyes fly over it, it is no more: for it will ever make itself wings: like an eagle will it fly toward heaven.
6 Ko kamae’o ty hàne’ o matitio, ko irie’o o aze mafirio;
Eat not the bread of a man with an evil eye, and do not long for his savory meats;
7 Fa hambañe ami’ty fañereñere’e añ’ova’e ao ty ie: hoe re ama’o; Mikamà naho minoma! fe tsy ama’o ty tro’e.
For as though there were a division in his soul, so doth he act: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
8 Hilañe’o i pilipito’e nitsopehe’oy, vaho hianto i fañandriaña’oy.
Thy morsel which thou hast eaten must thou spit out, and thou hast wasted thy pleasant words.
9 Ko misaontsy am-pitsanoña’ ty seretse, fa ho sirikae’e ty hihi’ o enta’oo.
Speak not before the ears of a fool; for he will despise the intelligence of thy words.
10 Ko avi’o ty nifaritsohañe haehae, vaho ko miaribañe ty tanem-bode-rae,
Remove not the ancient landmark, and into the fields of the fatherless must thou not enter;
11 amy te maozatse ty mpijeba’ iareo; hitohaña’e ty ama’o.
For their redeemer is strong; he will indeed plead their cause with thee.
12 Ampiantofo filie-batañe ty arofo’o, vaho volan-kilàla o ravembia’oo.
Apply thy heart unto instruction, and thy ears to the sayings of knowledge.
13 Ko ahànkañe ami’ty ana’o ty lilo; fa tsy mahavetrake ty lafan-kobaiñe.
Withhold not from a lad correction; for if thou beat him with the rod, he will not die.
Thou wilt indeed beat him with the rod; but thou wilt deliver his soul from perdition. (Sheol h7585)
15 O anako, naho mahihitse ty tro’o, ho ehake ty troko,
My son, If thy heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.
16 vaho hirebeke ty añ’ovako ao naho mahafivolañe ty hiti’e o soñi’oo.
And my reins shall exult when thy lips speak what is equitable.
17 Ko apo’o ho tsikirihen-tro’o ty mpandilatse, fe imaneo lomoñandro ty fañeveñañe am’ Iehovà.
Let not thy heart be envious against sinners; but [remain] in the fear of the lord all the time.
18 Toe ey ty ho avy, vaho tsy haitoañe ty fisalalà’o.
For surely there is a future, and thy hope will not be cut off.
19 O anako, mitsanoña naho mahihira, vaho avantaño mb’amy lalañey ty tro’o.
Hear thou, my son, and become wise, and guide thy heart on the right way.
20 Ko mitraok’ amo mpitolom-pitrini-divaio, ndra amo mpamotseke henao;
Be not among those that drink wine immoderately, among those that over-indulge in eating flesh:
21 fa songa hivarin-ko rarake ty mahake naho i jike; vaho hisikin-tsirodea ty poie.
For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty; and drowsiness clotheth a man in rags.
22 Tsendreño ty rae nisamak’ azo, vaho ko injè’o ty rene’o t’ie bey.
Hearken unto thy father that hath begotten thee, and despise not thy mother although she be old.
23 Vilio ty hatò le ko aletake; ikalò hihitse naho anatse vaho hilala.
Buy the truth and sell it not; [also] wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
24 Handia taroba ty rae’ i mahitiy; vaho hifalea’e i ana-dahy karafito nampiareñe’ey.
The father of the righteous will be greatly glad, and he that begetteth a wise child will have joy through him.
25 Ampiehafo ty rae’o naho i rene’o; hampinembanembañ’ i nisamak’ azoy.
Let [then] thy father and thy mother rejoice, and let her that hath born thee be glad.
26 O anake, atoloro ahiko ty tro’o, le ampifaleo amo satakoo o maso’oo.
Give, my son, thy heart unto me, and let thy eyes watch my ways.
27 Kadaha laleke ty tsimirirañe, vaho vovoñe maifitse ty karapilo.
For a harlot is a deep ditch, and a strange woman is a narrow well.
28 Mivoñoñe ao re hoe malaso, vaho ampitomboe’e am’ondatio ty hatsivokarañe.
She also lieth in wait like a robber, and she increaseth the treacherous among men.
29 Ia ty mioremèñe, ia ty mihontoke? Ia ty ampoheke? Ia ty mitoreo? Ia ty vinonotroboke tsy amam-poto’e; Ia ty ama-maso mandofiry?
Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath quarrels? who hath complaints? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
30 O mihenekeneke an-divaio, o mitolom-pitsopeke divay linaroo.
They that tarry late over the wine: they that come to seek for mixed drink.
31 Ko hentea’o ty hamena’ ty divay, ty fimilomilo’e am-pitovy ao, ty falamam-pioriha’e.
Do not look on the wine when it looketh red, when it giveth its color in the cup, when it glideth down so readily.
32 Ie am-para’e mitifatse hoe lapetake vaho mihehetse hoe fandrefeala.
At the last it will bite like a serpent, and like a basilisk will it sting.
33 Hahaoniñe sahàtse o maso’oo, vaho hivolan-kamengohañe ty ron-doha’o.
Thy eyes will see strange forms, and thy heart will speak perverse things.
34 Le hanahake ty mitsalalampatse aivo’ i riakey irehe, naho ty mandre ambone’ ty bodan-dain-dakañe eo.
And thou wilt be like one that lieth down in the heart of the sea, or as he that lieth on the top of a mast.
35 Namofok’ ahy iereo, fe tsy manaintaiñe; linafa’e fe tsy nireiko! Ombia te ho tsekake hipaiako indraike?
“They smote me, [but] I suffered no pain; they struck me hard, [but] I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will continue to seek it again.”
